Hogan and Christie should prioritize Senate over Presidency for the country’s sake.
Engaging Moderate Republicans to Capture the Senate
If moderate Republicans want to do something useful, they should stop spending all of their time trashing their politically popular national rivals and instead try to capture the Senate.
Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, former Maryland governor Larry Hogan, and New Hampshire governor Chris Sununu are known mostly for going on television to lament how upset they are with the rise of conservative populism in the Republican Party.
All three men claim their hatred of former President Donald Trump and his political success is motivated by their love of the country and their desire to see their brand of moderate Republicanism return to dominance. If that’s true, and it’s not that they seek the money and fame that comes with supporting the regime’s reflexive anti-Trumpism, they should set their eyes on political races they could win and where they could actually help the Republican Party.
Christie currently is struggling to break out of low single digits in the Republican presidential primary. Hogan left office earlier this year and keeps saying, over and over, that he’s thinking about running for president as well, just not in the Republican primary. Sununu says he’s not running for president, only trying to keep Trump from winning.
The men claim to be appalled by the conservative populist policies and candidates Republicans have embraced over the last eight years. They claim their brand of moderate Republican politics is exceedingly popular. When they go on talk shows, they lament with their left-wing interlocutors over the way the Republican Party has moved away from support for big corporations, porous borders, and endless wars.
And none of the men have a snowball’s chance in Hades of winning the Republican primary or the presidency.
However, these men absolutely could win Senate races! Had Sununu run in 2022, he likely would have defeated Democrat Maggie Hassan, and the Senate would be in Republican control. As for next year’s races, there are openings. New Jersey’s Democrat Sen. Bob Menendez, who is up for re-election next year, was indicted on Friday for his alleged role in his family’s influence-peddling operation. He probably won’t even win his party’s nomination for the 2024 race.
Christie says he cares for the country, wants to be a leader, and is worried about the direction of the GOP. OK. So he should prove it by running for an office he could actually win.
When Christie ran for re-election as governor in 2013, he won with 60 percent of the vote. Politico finds him so non-threatening that they gushed he’s even more popular with Democrats now than before. Low bar and all that, but if it’s true, it should be particularly easy to win statewide office again!
Hogan’s main achievement as the Republican leader of Maryland was to prevent whatever would have happened under Democrat leadership. He could fulfill that same role again if he chose to run for the Senate.
Hogan claims his brand of Republican politics is extremely popular. That may not be true outside of Maryland, but he can legitimately point to his two elections in the overwhelmingly Democrat state. Democrat Ben Cardin is retiring. It’s an open seat, making it particularly winnable!
Christie and Hogan’s brand of Republican politics might be what it takes to flip their state’s Senate seats to the Republican Party. At the very least, the two men would make the race competitive and force Democrats to spend real money to defend those seats.
Moderate Republican Charlie Baker, another anti-Trumpist politician, could try to unseat Elizabeth Warren in Massachusetts. All of these men could fight for what they claim to believe in rather than be a sideshow serving corporate media.
If they want to reclaim the Republican Party, what better way than to get into the Senate to take on J.D. Vance of Ohio, Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, Josh Hawley of Missouri, and other favorites of Republican voters?
What makes Larry Hogan an ideal candidate to capture a Senate seat in Maryland, considering his ability to work with both Republicans and Democrats?
Compelling that they named him “Governor of the Year.” He has a proven track record of success and widespread support among New Jersey voters. Instead of wasting his time criticizing the Republican Party from the sidelines, Christie should use his popularity and leadership skills to capture a Senate seat in New Jersey.
Similarly, Larry Hogan has been a popular governor in Maryland, a typically Democratic-leaning state. He has governed with a moderate approach and has successfully appealed to voters across the aisle. Hogan’s ability to work with both Republicans and Democrats makes him an ideal candidate to capture a Senate seat in Maryland. Rather than considering a presidential run where his chances of success are slim, Hogan should focus on a race where he has a real chance of winning and making a difference.
Chris Sununu, the current governor of New Hampshire, has also expressed his concerns about the Republican Party. Sununu, like Christie and Hogan, should channel his aspirations into capturing a Senate seat in his home state. New Hampshire has a long history of electing moderate Republicans and Sununu, with his popularity and track record as governor, could be successful in winning over voters and helping to swing the Senate in favor of the Republicans.
The key point here is that moderate Republicans need to be actively engaged in shaping the future of the party. Instead of simply criticizing the direction it is heading, they can have a real impact by running for office and working to capture Senate seats. This is where they can make a difference and help to restore their vision of a moderate Republican Party.
Furthermore, capturing the Senate is crucial not only for the Republican Party but also for the country as a whole. With a Republican-controlled Senate, there would be a better balance of power and a more constructive approach to governance. It would also help to prevent extreme policies from being enacted and ensure that the needs and interests of all Americans are considered.
In conclusion, if moderate Republicans genuinely care about the future of their party and the country, they should shift their focus from criticizing their rivals to capturing the Senate. Chris Christie, Larry Hogan, and Chris Sununu, with their proven records of success and popularity among voters, have the potential to win Senate races and make a real difference. By actively engaging in these political races, they can shape the future of the Republican Party and help restore their brand of moderate Republicanism. It’s time for these leaders to step up and take action to capture the Senate.
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